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Variations of Surnames
by R. Robert Mutrie

There were pitfalls in transcribing from the original hand-written record. Interpreting the census taker's 140-year old handwriting was at times difficult. Sometimes the surname spelllings varied between members of the same family.  Some entries had faded, others had been hastily scribbled, the letters running together.

Many people were illiterate or had only a rudimentary education.  Quite a few could not spell even their name.  The census taker interpreted the name spelling as it sounded.  The following is a list of some of the variations which occurred:

Atkinson -- Adkinson
Aikens -- Atkins

Bailey -- Baily, Baley
Baumwart -- Bomwart
Beamer -- Beemer
Boughner -- Bougner, Buchner
Bowlby -- Bowlsby

Caniff -- Kanoff
Chrysler -- Crysler
Clouse -- Clous, Clows
Collver -- Colver, Culver
Countryman-- Cuntryman
Crane -- Crain

Dease -- Dace
Dell -- Dill

Earles -- Earl, Earls

Ferguson -- Fargison
Ferris -- Feris, Ferres
Fluelling -- Flewelling, Flewelyn
Force -- Forse

Gillett -- Gillott, Jillett

Hargraves -- Argrave, Argreaves, Argrove
Hoffman -- Hufman
Holmes -- Homes
House -- Howes
Humphrey -- Umphrey

Kellam -- Kellum
Knowles -- Noles

Lefler -- Lafler
Laing -- Lang, Langs
Lemon -- Lemmon, Lemmons
Linsay -- Linzie
Louks -- Loux
 

Mabee -- Maby, Maybee
Manary -- Menery
Massacar -- Massacre, Mesicar
Matthews -- Mathews
McLean -- McClean
McLelland -- McClelan, McLellan
McInally -- McNelley, McNelly, McNilly
Misener -- Meisner, Misner, Musner
Morris -- Moris

Newman -- Numan

O'Carr -- OCarr, Carr
O'Connor -- OConnor, Connor
Olmstead -- Olmsted

Pearce -- Pierce
Pettit -- Petitt, Pettitt

Reid -- Read, Reed
Rockefeller -- Rockefellow
Rogers -- Rodgers

Saltzbury -- Salisbury, Solisbury
Schermerhorn -- Shermerhorn
Shephard -- Shepherd
Schuyler -- Sheler, Shuyler, Shuyler
Serles -- Searles
Snyder -- Snider
Sovereen -- Sovereign, Sovreen
Stalker -- Staker, Stocker
Stearns -- Sterns
Sykes -- Sikes

Taggart -- Tagert, Taget, Tygard

Welch -- Walsh, Welsh
Whiteside -- Whitesides, Whitside, Witsides
Wilson -- Willson
Winegarden -- Windgarden, Winegarner
Wood -- Woods

 
Copyright 2000-2009 John Cardiff and Robert Mutrie